Support for stricter gun control has gone up lately, but what counts in politics is the
intensity of the opinions and their impact on elections. And here, the
NRA still has a
big advantage.
Gallup reports:
Republicans, individuals who identify as conservative, gun owners and those who believe gun control laws should be made less strict are the most likely to say that a candidate must share their views on gun control. At least three in 10 voters in each of these subgroups -- including 40% of those favoring less strict gun laws -- say they would vote only for a candidate who shares their views on guns. A smaller 21% of those who favor stricter gun laws say they will vote only for a candidate who agrees with them.
In 1999, Americans were about equally likely to say the Republican Party and the Democratic Party could do a better job of reflecting their own views on gun control, with a slight tilt toward the Democrats. Today, voters are still somewhat divided, but tilt more toward the GOP on the issue, at 46%, compared with 37% for the Democratic Party.
